The New President of the US Catholic Bishops Visited Ukraine - Archbishop Timothy Broglio Offers Solidarity and Attends Soldiers' Funerals

Archbishop Timothy Broglio visited Ukraine. He is the new president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and leader of the Archdiocese for Military Services, USA. His visit to Ukraine took place from December 27th–29th.

"We are sincerely grateful to the defenders for the sacrifice they make for their country, for all of us. We pray that peace reigns in Ukraine and in other parts of the world. Once again, on behalf of all Catholics in the United States of America, I extend my sincere condolences to all of you. We must continue to live in hope", Archbishop Timothy Broglio said in Lviv.

DECEMBER 29, 2022 

Archbishop Broglio visited Ukraine in late December 2022. Together with Ukrainian Catholic University Rector Father Bohdan Prach, the Archbishop visited the Garrison Church in Lviv. 

“Thank you for the opportunity to visit Ukraine and the Ukrainian Catholic University at this difficult time. I pray for peace, for those who suffer, those who gave their lives for freedom. And I wish to encourage students to study diligently so that they can build a country that will serve the people who live on this earth. To build a just society you need good tools,” said the Archbishop.

General Pavlo Tkachuk and the pastor of the church, Father Taras Mykhalchuk, greeted the guests. Archbishop Broglio met with Ukrainian military chaplains. Some of them had just returned from the front lines.

 Together with Bishop Volodymyr Hrutsa, Archbishop Broglio took part in a funeral for three Ukrainian soldiers, Borys Yakovlev, Serhiy Fedorov, and Roman Lehkyi, who perished fighting the Russian occupiers. They were buried on the Field of Honored Burials in Lviv. 

Together with the Auxiliary Bishop of the Lviv Archeparchy, Volodymyr Hrutsa, Archbishop Timothy Broglio co-served during the funeral of three Ukrainian soldiers killed in action: Borys Yakovlev, Serhii Fedorov, and Roman Lehkyy.

Broglio also noted that he hopes the fallen soldiers’ death will not be in vain: “It gives us hope for the future. We are sincerely grateful to the defenders for the sacrifice they make for their country, and for all of us. We pray peace reigns in Ukraine and other parts of the world. Once again, on behalf of all Catholics in the United States of America, I extend my sincere condolences. We must continue to live in hope.”

Archbishop Broglio noted that one of the goals of military chaplains is to respond to the needs of those currently on the front lines: “We have to take care of the people who are currently fighting. When I became a chaplain in 2008, I realized that my mission was to serve the men and women affected by war in the United States. However, there is a significant difference between the war in America and the war in Ukraine. Our fight was far from us, in Iraq, in Afghanistan. Only about 1% of the population was involved. This is something that is an advantage, but also a problem. Many servicemen felt that the US population was not interested in the war. Unfortunately, the war is happening here, on your land. My visit is a visit of solidarity and support.”

Archbishop Timothy Broglio shared with the chaplains a story of his visit to a hospital in Latvia, where he met several Ukrainian military men undergoing rehabilitation. “I was very moved by the conversation with the Ukrainian soldiers because they expressed a clear wish and readiness to return to the front line to continue to defend Ukraine. Most of them are very young guys. It is terrible that the nation’s best either lose its youth in a fight or die. But you and I, as ministers of the Church, who are called to support these people, must continue our work. We have to be with those men and women who serve on the front lines, physically or morally. I want to assure you on behalf of all the US bishops that we will continue to pray for all of you. And we sincerely hope that soon peace will reign in Ukraine.”

View the YouTube video, posted above, created by Ukrainian Catholic University and learn more about the visit on the UCU.edu.ua website (additional photos are included on the UCU webpage.) Source: https://www.milarch.org/archbishop-broglio-visited-ukraine/ and https://ucu.edu.ua/en/news/ukrayintsi-nesut-usomu-svitovi-velyku-nadiyu-amerykanskyj-arhyyepyskop-timoti-brolio-pryyihav-do-ukrayiny-z-vizytom-solidarnosti-ta-pidtrymky/